The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-09
SHEEP AND WOOL.
Development Of Sheep Raising
and Wooden Manufactures.
Interesting Figures From the Bu-
reau of Statistics.

The printed report of Colonel W. F.
Switzler, Chief Of the United States Bureau
of Statistics, on wool and manufactures of
wool is now ready for distribution, and is
considered by the Bureau to be one of the
most valuable documents it has ever put
forth. The report makes with its appendix
volume Of three hundred pages. 1t
gives history of the development of sheep
raising and wool manufacturing in this coun-
try. The report shows that the number of
sheep in the United States rose from l9,0O0,-
900 in 1910 to 81, 900 000 in 1884, but declined
to $4,000, 900 in 1857. This marked decline
occurred mainly in the Southern and West
ern States, notably in TexaL and is attributed
in great part to the declife in the price of
wool since 1884.
Great Britain, being the leading wool
market of the world, has always been, the
report says, the principal market for pur-
chases of WOOL Turkey and Russia have
also been important sources of direct
supply. but the Argentine Republic is
now, next to Great Britain, the
foreign source of supply, followed by Aus
tralasia- The imports of wool rose from J.
715,699 pounds in 1922 to ia, OBS, ,O30 pounds
ing 1881 The increase in wool imports has
about kept pace with the growth of Ameri-
can wool products, both having about
doubled since 1860 A series Of tables
illustrates the increase in products and
in importations and the relations between the
two, as for example, from 1864 to 1868, 16l,-
900, 900 pounds were produced and a, 3,OOO,O QUO
imported; from 1874 to 1878 195, 900 600 pro-
duced and Al, ,OOO 900 imported; fl ON 1882 to
1856, 297, 900. 900 were produced and $1,000
900 imported. From 1922 to 1881 the annual
imports of wool in manufactures averaged
over s., 900, 900 in value, or more than sew
enty -one cents per capita: while from 1889 to
to 1871. they reached over $14, 900, 900, or
eighty-four cents per capita.
= The value of the United States woolen
product of 1850 was s25,000,000 in round
numbers, and of imports sl9,000,0 900. In
1850, the product had grown to Sl64 4,0O0, 900,
and imports were valued at S31 ,OOO,O be-
ing S3.9l per capita.
Thus, while the product of woolens in the
United States has increased since 1850 nearly
seyen-fold the imports have increased about
siXty-two per cent, but the consumption per
capita has doubled, which the statistician
says indicates in q striking manner the ad-
vancement Of wealth and comfort in the style
of living among the people of this country.
The statistics of imports and exports Of
woolens in the trade of foreign countries
show that the United Kingdom is foremost
in the foreign trade in woolens, the imports
during 1885 amounting in value to $40, ZOO, 600
and the exports to SIZE, 900, ,00O France comes
next with imports of s49,O0O,O00 and exports
amounting to s7S,oeo'9eoaoe;o ooo 6Se Germany
exports of S51,6O0,O00 There has been a
large decline in the woolen trade of Great
Britain since 1874. This decline, the Royal
Commission on the Depression of Trade
attributes in part to the high foreign tariffs
which, it is claimed, shut out the manufac-
turers of Great Britain from foreign markets.